The Disease
Dark Disease, or simply The Disease, is a respiratory airborne disease that first struck Oz in the fifties in Munchkinland. It is caused by small spores that cling to the humidity of the host’s throat and lungs, releasing a dark colored liquid that slowly fills the lungs of the infected. It’s composed of three stages and each advancing one lowers the chances of recovery. Infected people can last from a month to up to 8 months. History Historians suspect that it was brought from the Exile to the land of Oz. Due to lower hygiene standards and a mass poverty the region was facing after the death of the Eminent Thropp and the wickedness of his descendants, the disease spread fast on the lower levels of the population. Medicine available at the time wasn’t capable of treating it, only the symptoms they caused, while the spores kept developing. The illness quickly decimated a large portion of the population, until it was contained by the aggressive establishment of strict code of self-hygiene by Eminent Finley Thropp, following the death of his older sister and father due to the disease. Isolated cases continued to happen, in which case, the infected had to be taken away and left to die. In 80 a.O., commandant Morrible of the Ozian forces, was informed by the royal scientists of a possible cure for this disease. Keeping this information for himself and stealing vials with the spores that caused the disease, he started infecting schools and small children. When they were taken to the treatment places, he would forge their deaths and raise them in his army. The carelessness of his actions caused a new surge of the disease - and with the cure being stolen, sent Oz into a second plague. Such calamity helped hide his villainous actions until 97, when he attacks Shiz university. In 100 a.O., a group of freedom fighters called the Shadows of Shiz - headed by Cyan Holtz - was able to infiltrate a facility and recover dozens and dozens of cure vials. They started to spread said cure to the cities they visited after and to the other parts of the resistance. Allied doctors started to reproduce the cure and soon, Morrible’s biggest weapon was gone. Symptoms There are three stages of contamination, each presenting different symptoms. First stage When first contracted, the disease doesn’t show itself to be any different than a common cough, with the exception that it elongates for long periods of time. This is normally the longest state and it can last anywhere from two weeks to a two months. Symptoms may include: * Wet coughing * Runny nose * Redness in face * Dizziness Second stage Second stage is when the spores have started to multiply inside the infected respiratory tract.This state is normally shorter and it can last from a couple of days to a couple of weeks if not treated. In addition to first stage symptoms, infected people may experience: * Shortness of breath * Medium to high fever * Fatigue * Chills * Taste of metal in the mouth * Intensification of dizziness * Nausea Third stage It’s the final stage of the disease, when the dark liquid starts to fill one’s lungs. This either causes death by suffocation or keeps triggering the infected’s sink or swim instincts, leading up to heart attacks. At this point, even the perfected cure has to be paired with utmost medical care in order for a patient to fully recover. This is the last stage and shortest and the one more likely to cause complications. The longest known case of a person in third stage without administered cure was two weeks. Symptoms of this stage are: * Intensification of coughing, to the point of not being able to sleep or eat * Dark liquid coming out through nose and/or mouth * Weight loss * Sleep deprivation * Panic attacks * Fainting * High fevers * Night sweats * Chest pressure * Fast heart rate * Breathing difficulties (which can lead up to respiratory stop) Complicating Factors * Malnutrition * Cold and wet weather * Other illnesses that lower immunity, such as cancer and HIV * Very young or advanced age Treatment and Recovery Treatment, if admnistrated until stage 2, usually involves a dose of the cure and a couple of days of rest. The remaining spores - now deactivated and unable to infect others - and liquid will be expelled in those following days. Patients have been known to make full recoveries in less than two weeks. Third stage cases, however, are much more complicated and require special attention of a medical crew. Surgical drainage of the liquid might be in question. Treatment also has to attend the other symptoms such as the quick weight loss and the lack of rest caused by the coughing. Complications Even with successful treatments, some long lasting problems may arise, specially in patients that recover from stages 2 and 3. * In old people, spinal and joint pain, from the consistent coughing * Heart diseases: in rare cases, the spores might spread to the heart, causing it to fill with fluid that will be pumped to the whole body. This condition causes an overall darkening of veins and makes the skin assume a greenish hue. It’s often mistaken by Velyard contamination, but it’s actually fatal. Only solution is surgical removal of spores. Prevention * Washing food and vegetables before eating * Often higienize hands during the day * Ventilate all places with great crowds * Cover mouth to cough or sneeze, and always clean hands and cloths after * Wear a mask if you think you may be going through the first stage